The Art of the Close: Ending Your Job Interview on the Right Note

Make the most of
your last few minutes

After spending an hour demonstrating your comprehensive knowledge of the potential employer’s business, maintaining positive body language and skilfully answering behavioural questions, you’ll have given your interviewer most of the information they were seeking. But the interview isn’t over yet, and it’s in the closing that you can really make your mark and clinch the deal. Here are our top tips on making the most of your last few minutes.

Final questions

The human concentration span being what it is, your interviewer will most likely remember their first and final impressions of you most clearly – so it’s advisable to go out with a bang.

Have some interesting closing questions ready to ask when you’re invited to do so, such as “What is the key to success in this role?”, “What does your dream candidate look like?” or “How would you describe the workplace culture here?”

Once you’ve asked your own questions, encourage the interviewer to ask any last questions of their own. If you sensed any concerns on their part, you could ask if anything was unclear or if there was anything they wanted you to further address – and happily oblige.

Closing remarks

After the last round of questions, there will most likely be an opening to make a closing statement – make sure you seize it. Keep it short and sweet, but reiterate how your skills and experience make you a perfect fit for the job.

Finally, don’t be shy about expressing how enthusiastic you are about the role. It’s likely that everyone interviewing for the position has the necessary skills and this is your last chance to demonstrate you’re hungrier than the other applicants.

Post-interview protocol

If they haven’t already covered it, ask your interviewer to provide a timeframe for when they’ll let you know if you’ve passed to the next stage of the interview process. If you’ve had other job offers there’s no harm in mentioning them, though this shouldn’t be done in a way that comes across as manipulative.

Within 24 hours of the interview taking place, send your interviewer a brief, polite email thanking them for their time and restating your interest in the position.

Be polite, whatever the outcome

Aside from the thank you email, it’s best not to bother your potential employer with phone calls or emails before the timeframe they have specified. However, if they don’t get back to you by that date don’t hesitate to follow up – potential employers are more likely to be impressed by an eager job applicant, provided you don’t go overboard.

Regardless of the outcome of your interview, your response should always be polite gratitude. If you did get the job, you’ll want to get off to a good start by letting your new employer know how much you appreciate the faith they’ve shown in you. If you didn’t get the job, you still want to make sure you’re top of mind should another position become available or should the first-choice candidate fall by the wayside.

Hudson is a global talent solutions company. We help transform the workplace and unleash the full potential of organizations and individuals. Our expert team and proprietary tools provide you with unique insights and services that help you maximize your success. Across 20 countries, we deliver a range of recruitment, talent management and recruitment process outsourcing solutions to get you and your business where you want to be.